I'm not sure why anybody thinks this is a head writer thing. It doesn't matter who is writing the show, these vets on this show are ridiculously expensive, especially after Reilly's original pen skyrocketed them so high into the demos. Sure, a few have had to take a pay cut, but not that much. It's why they'll be gone for months - the show's budget just can't support them anymore, but Corday/NBC also know if they cut them loose, they can kiss the whole show goodbye. It's a no-win situation.